Pakistan sees Iran-U.S. deal coming “sooner rather than later”
Pakistan said on the event date that it expects the United States and Iran to reach an agreement “sooner rather than later,” a public expression of optimism from a government that has been quietly helping to facilitate talks between the two sides. The statement came as Islamabad continued to present itself as a mediator in a war that has unsettled energy markets, strained diplomacy and left the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of global anxiety.
Foreign office spokesman Tahir Andrabi told reporters during a weekly briefing in Islamabad that Pakistan remained hopeful a peaceful and sustainable solution could be reached. His comments were notable not just for the confidence they projected, but for the context in which they were delivered: direct talks between Washington and Tehran in April failed to produce a deal, yet Pakistan has kept the channels open and continued to pass messages between the parties.
The Arab News Pakistan report said Pakistan hosted the direct talks in April, which ended without an agreement but helped secure an extension in an earlier ceasefire between the parties. That gives Islamabad a real, if limited, diplomatic role. It is not presenting itself as the principal negotiator; instead, it is acting as a facilitator, a messenger and a place where the sides can test formulae without forcing a public breakthrough too early.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the unresolved issue around which much of this diplomacy turns. The report said roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the waterway, which explains why even a partial closure or security threat has immediate consequences for shipping, prices and political calculations far beyond the Gulf. In that sense, Pakistan’s mediation effort is about more than the bilateral war. It is also about keeping a chokepoint open that matters to the world economy.
Andrabi declined to comment on reports that the two sides were close to a one-page memo to end the war. That caution matters. It suggests the diplomatic process is still fluid and that public optimism should not be mistaken for final agreement. Pakistan’s role may be useful, but it is still operating in a space where both Washington and Tehran need to satisfy their domestic audiences as well as each other.
The report also said President Donald Trump had described a deal as very possible after what he called very good talks, while Iranian officials were reviewing a US proposal aimed at ending the conflict. Those parallel signals point to movement, but not closure. The conflict is still constrained by blockade, sanctions, security demands and distrust over how any deal would be enforced.
Pakistan’s message on the event date was therefore measured rather than triumphant. It did not claim success. It claimed momentum. That distinction matters in a region where temporary pauses have often been mistaken for settlements. The clearest takeaway is that Islamabad believes a negotiated answer is still possible and wants to be seen as one of the few states with access to both sides. Whether that access becomes a durable diplomatic bridge remains uncertain.
